Pick-and-Pop: Consumer’s Guide to the 2017-18 Grizzlies home schedule

Zach Randolph became a beloved Grizzly – and a beloved Memphian – during his time in the Bluff City from 2009 until this year when he left for the Sacramento Kings. But when he first joined the Grizzlies he had a troubled history. Here’s a look at some incidents of Z-Bo’s pre-Memphis days.
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Mike Conley and the Grizzlies will host Lonzo Ball and the Lakers Jan. 15 at 4:30 p.m. in a game broadcast on TNT as part of the league’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day showcase.(Photo: Memphis Grizzlies / Getty)

The NBA released its league-wide schedule on Monday night, with three national television games, a Mississippi River collision on opening night and an MLK Day corrective.

What follows is not a competitive breakdown but one from a fan-interest perspective. Many people own full season tickets, but many more split season tickets, buy smaller packages, or seek out individual tickets.

For those making choices -- and particularly for those who hold a “draft” to divvy up ticket packages with others -- here’s Pick-and-Pop’s now-annual cheat sheet to this season’s Grizzlies home schedule, with every game game graded on a four-star scale. I made no allowances for football overlap, college or pro. Make your own adjustments there.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) goes to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis and center Alexis Ajinca (42) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Tuesday, March 21, 2017. The Pelicans won 95-82. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)(Photo: Gerald Herbert, AP)

Game 1. New Orleans (Wednesday, Oct. 18): Opening night is always one of the sure-shots, and the Pelicans are a perfect foil except for the problem that they might win. Of course, veterans of Grizzlies openers know full well that no opponent is a safe W. The Pellies are not a team that’s going to sell out a Wednesday in January, so putting them here is not a waste. Rather, like Minnesota last season, their interesting qualities add a nice little boost to what’s already a marquee night. Can Marc Gasol handle Boogie & The Brow? With this be an early indicator of where these Southwest Division and Mississippi River rivals will land in the West’s playoff pecking order? Verdict: 4 stars

Game 2. Golden State (Saturday, Oct. 21): It’s the second game of a back-to-back (hereafter SEGABABA) for the champs, but this early in the season you’d expect them to be at full strength rather than resting someone. Sadly, for entertainment purposes (but good for Grizzlies competitive purposes), this is the Dubs’ lone Memphis appearance. The Grizzlies beat the Warriors twice last season, including a convincing one in FedExForum. You can’t expect a repeat, but you never know. Regardless, the circus is in town, for one night only, on a Saturday. New addition: The Ghost of Grizzlies Playoff Collapses Past (aka Nick Young). Verdict: 4 stars

Game 3. Dallas (Thursday, Oct. 26): Not just a SEGABABA for both teams, but a rematch of a game in Dallas the previous night. Here’s guessing Chandler Parsons, even if cleared for opening night, doesn’t play both. Hopefully the match-up with his old team comes here. This will be your first in-person look at Mavs rookie point guard and Summer League highlight machine Dennis Smith. Verdict: 2 stars

Game 4. Houston (Saturday, Oct. 28): With Tony Allen presumably no longer around to throw an errant foot in Chris Paul’s direction or combat the (James) Hardens of the World, how do the Grizzlies match up with the starriest backcourt in the league? Is this a preview of coming attractions for the heavy burden Mike Conley may have to bear on both ends of the floor this season? With Allen and Zach Randolph both out, the Grizzlies are likely to goose their three-point shooting even more. Houston is the most prolific long-range team in the NBA, so expect to see lots of bombs launched in this one. This will also be a good measuring stick against the likely preseason favorite in the Grizzlies’ Southwest Division. SEGABABA warning for the Rockets applies, but maybe that increases the odds of hometown kid Tarik Black getting some good run. Verdict: 3.5 stars

Game 5. Charlotte (Monday, Oct. 30): Human Uzi Kemba Walker might get into a shoot-out with Mike Conley. Here’s betting new Hornet Dwight Howard and Marc Gasol still don’t like each other, and that’s fun. And rookie Malik Monk, an Arkansas native, will likely bring some family and friends from across the river and some jump shots from nearly as far. The Hornets are a low key team, but this is a pretty good matchup, and they only come once. Verdict: 2.5 stars

Game 6. Orlando (Wednesday, Nov. 1): Orlando is one of the league’s more drab squads despite Aaron Gordon’s best-in-the-league dunks (no matter what Dunk Contest judges say), Elfrid Payton’s hair, and the addition of always-here-for-the-party former Griz fan favorite Mo Speights. It’s the last home game before a five-game road trip, but the early home schedule is so strong that you’re probably due for a break by now. And it’s a Wednesday night. Verdict: 1.5 stars

Game 7. Indiana (Wednesday, Nov. 15): It’s been two weeks and the Pacers bring to town a couple of homecomings of a sort, with Memphis native Thaddeus Young and Hateful Eight Grizzlies hero Lance Stephenson making their lone appearances. Verdict: 2.5 stars

Game 8. Houston (Saturday, Nov. 18): The Rockets are back already, on another Saturday night but with a night’s rest this time. The marquee match-up: Chris Paul vs. Mike Conley, arguably the West’s two best traditional point guards. On the undercard: Troy Williams vs. Wayne Selden, the one who got away among last season’s undrafted prospects vs. the one who was retained. Verdict: 3.5 stars

Game 9. Portland (Monday, Nov. 20): Some good individual match-ups among two teams competing for limited playoff berths in the West’s middle tier. Damian Lillard scores more points and gets more attention, but Mike Conley may be the better all-around player at the point. There won’t be room for both on the All-Star team, assuming there’s room for either. Marc Gasol and Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic have history. Expect that match-up to get chippy. Depending on what you believe, the Blazers were either the runner-up for Chandler Parsons in 2016 free agency or allowed themselves to be used as leverage. Either way, it would be nice to see Parsons play well here (or anywhere else). Verdict: 3 stars

Game 10. Dallas (Wednesday, Nov. 22): The home series with Dallas ends early. Dirk Nowitzki is 39 years old and in his 20th season. Pay respect -- and maybe see him trade one-legged mid-range fadeaways with Marc Gasol -- while you still can. Bumped up half a star from the October meeting for its pre-Thanksgiving holiday placement. Verdict: 3 stars

Game 11. Brooklyn (Sunday, Nov. 26): It’s a 5 p.m. tip for this early evening Sunday, post-Thanksgiving game, the only time Brooklyn comes to town. The Nets will still be bad, but with young former Laker D'Angelo Russell and former Grizzly DeMarre Carroll added this offseason, they’ll be more watchable than they were last season. Verdict: 1.5 stars

Game 12. San Antonio (Friday, Dec. 1): The first time back in Memphis since ending the Grizzlies post-season this spring. Will they just keep coasting because they’re the Spurs, or is this the year San Antonio finally starts to slip? The Grizzlies couldn’t find anyone to guard Kawhi Leonard in the playoffs with Tony Allen out, and now Allen’s likely gone. Grizzlies Playoff Killers Tony Parker and Rudy Gay (ok, in different ways) are both coming off of season-ending injuries. Parker, at least, is unlikely to be available here. But you can expect another Battle of the Brothers, as Los Hermanos Gasol face off. This is the back half of a weird home/road back-to-back one day removed, with the two teams having faced off in San Antonio on Wednesday. Verdict: 3 stars

Game 13. Minnesota (Monday, Dec. 4): With all-NBA forward Jimmy Butler and glue guy Taj Gibson joining rising third-year superstar Karl-Anthony Towns, the Wolves should be the most improved team in the conference, and one of the most interesting. Towns has cited Marc Gasol as his toughest match-up of his young career, but it was JaMychal Green who shut him down late in last year’s opener. It’s a Monday night and the Wolves aren’t (yet) a glamor team, but this is the only time they come to town. This might be four-star for the hoops diehards, but I’ll knock it down a notch to curb my own irrational exuberance. SEGABABA warning for ‘Sota. Verdict: 3.5 stars

Game 14. Toronto (Friday, Dec. 8): Mike Conley vs. Kyle Lowry isn’t just a battle of two of the NBA’s best point guards, but a classic subplot for the pre-Grit-and-Grind Griz fans. The Ibakas of the World reside north of the border now, and will provide a nice comparison point for the similarly inclined JaMychal Green. The Raptors sacrificed some depth this summer, but remain a good team and will make their lone appearance on a Friday night. Potential off-court wrinkle: The Thunder, on tap for the next night, will already be in town. Will Russell Westbrook be making the scene in no-doubt-creative civilian dress? Verdict: 3 stars

Game 15. Oklahoma City (Saturday, Dec. 9): The second half of a rare home back-to-back, with an 8 p.m. tip for an NBA TV broadcast. Arguably the Grizzlies greatest rivalry in recent years (sorry Clippers), it just won’t be the same with Tony Allen and Zach Randolph gone. It might also be depressing: The Thunder seemed on the verge of a crack-up when Kevin Durant dipped to the Bay, but this summer they got another All-Star small forward, Paul George, for next to nothing. Things always seem to come easy to OKC. The stylistic contrast of smooth Mike Conley and ferocious reigning MVP Russell Westbrook is obviously the feature attraction here. Westbrook’s dagger-filled 45-9-10 on April 3 of this year was probably the best game anyone played at FedExForum last season, at least until Kawhi Leonard showed up in the playoffs. Verdict: 3.5 stars

Game 16. Miami (Monday, Dec. 11): After coming up short in Memphis last season, David Fizdale gets another chance against his old team in his new home. Hassan Whiteside and James Johnson have risen quite high from the Grizzlies’ discard pile. Heat point guard Goran Dragic’s size and aggressiveness have bothered Mike Conley in the past. Verdict: 2.5 stars

Game 17. Atlanta (Friday, Dec. 15): Hawks-Grizzlies games have tended to be pretty fun over the years and their lone local appearance is a Friday night, but …. woof! The Hawks, in tank-mode, are rough this season. This is the first half of another home back-to-back, and it’s an easy choice of which to prioritize. Verdict: 1.5 stars

Game 18. Boston (Saturday, Dec. 16): The East’s best regular-season team from a year ago probably got better with the addition of All-Star forward Gordon Hayward. This is their only time in town, on a Saturday night (8 p.m. tip). Pint-sized scoring sensation Isaiah Thomas is one of the league’s best watches in person, though incredibly frustrating if he’s torching your team. With the retirements of Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, Marc Gasol and Al Horford might be the league’s standard-bearers among play-the-right-way big men, so this is a match-up I’ll be enjoying. But this is a SEGABABA game for the Celtics, who host Hayward’s former team, the Utah Jazz, in Boston the night before. He may be spent even if he plays. Verdict: 3.5 stars

Game 19. L.A. Clippers (Saturday, Dec. 23): The last game before the Christmas/New Year’s holidays and a five-game West Coast road trip. This rivalry won’t feel the same with so many of the past principals having moved on, but Marc Gasol vs. DeAndre Jordan remains one of the NBA’s great positional contrasts in style. Mike Conley vs. new Clips point guard Patrick Beverley could be feisty. And it will be low-key interesting to watch JaMychal Green defend Blake Griffin in his new point forward/alpha dog role. New Clippers Euro import Milos Teodosic throws the world’s fanciest passes. Will that flair translate to the NBA? A little luster is lost, but for a Saturday night holiday game ... Verdict: 4 stars

Game 20. Washington (Friday, Jan. 5): The first game back from that five-game trip is an ESPN broadcast (8:30 tip) against one of the East’s best teams. John Wall is a Top 5 player in the East and is flanked by combustible backcourt mate in Bradley Beal to lead a sleeper contender. An underrated attraction especially considering they only come to town once. Add in the weekend timing and that it’s one of only two national TV broadcasts and …Verdict: 4 stars

Game 21. New Orleans (Wednesday, Jan. 10): With opening-night hoopla over, you can settle in for the rich match-ups. JaMychal Green trying to keep up with the league’s most dynamic big man, Anthony Davis. Mike Conley fighting through a couple of bigger point guards in Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo. And the Battle of the Hosses between Marc Gasol and Boogie Cousins. Undercard: Germantown native Ian Clark making a hometown appearance. Verdict: 2.5 stars

Game 22. L.A. Lakers (Monday, Jan. 15): I wrote about this earlier in The 9:01 column, but this is the absolute ideal for an MLK Day game. It’s on TNT in a timeslot (4:30 p.m.) that doesn’t overshadow other holiday activity, tips off the NBA’s primetime triple-header, and still gets things done early for the next day’s return to working-week normalcy. It’s a glamour opponent, but a very beatable one. Good job, NBA. Verdict: 4 stars

Game 23. New York (Wednesday, Jan. 17): The Knicks are kind of a mess, and chances are Carmelo Anthony will have been moved before this game gets here. But 7’3” shotblocker/three-point shooter Kristaps Porzingis is a great in-person hoops attraction. How much is the Zinger and some fading franchise pedigree worth on a Wednesday night? Verdict: 2 stars

Game 24. Sacramento (Friday, Jan. 19): Zach Randolph’s return to FedExForum in another uniform is alone an event you want to be in the building to experience: For the ovation, and for the disorienting spectacle of Z-Bo and Marc Gasol trying to bust each other’s butts in the paint. It just so happens that the West Memphis Kings bring with them a load of undercard intrigue: Returnees Vince Carter, Dave Joerger, and Kosta Koufos. Hometown project Skal Labissiere. And a fun point-guard match-up between now-elder statesman Mike Conley and a highly touted rookie who’s been compared to him, new King De’Aaron Fox. Verdict: 4 stars

Game 25. Philadelphia (Monday, Jan. 22): The NBA is betting on Philly, scheduling 14 national TV games for a young team that's been terrible for years but has three potential superstars in Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz. The latter two are the top picks in the past couple of NBA drafts. Embiid has played 31 games in three seasons due to injury but is both as magnetic a personality and as massive a talent as any young player in the league. There’s reason to hedge here, especially on a Monday night. But Pick-and-Pop is going to invest. Verdict: 3 stars

Game 26. San Antonio (Wednesday, Jan. 24): Tony Parker should be back for this second Memphis visit of the season, but the Spurs host Cleveland the previous night and knowing how San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich tends to play things, this comes with a red alert SEGABABA warning. Verdict: 2.5 stars

Game 27. L.A. Clippers (Friday, Jan. 26): Not as much of a calendar sweet spot as the first meeting, but still a near-marquee weekend game likely to have playoff implications. Verdict: 3.5 stars

Game 28. Phoenix (Monday, Jan. 29): Phoenix’s rebuild has been stuttering but gunner Devin Booker and newly drafted wing defender Josh Jackson might give them something to build on even if their young bigs don’t pan out. Popeye-armed Eric Bledsoe vs. Mike Conley is a pretty good matchup contrast, but disappointment lurks on the point guard undercard: Will Suns second-rounder Tyler Ulis still be better, at this point in their second seasons, than Grizzlies first-rounder Wade Baldwin? Verdict: 1.5 stars

Game 29. Utah (Wednesday, Feb. 7): This match-up is likely to matter greatly in terms of the playoff race, and there’s a lot to like here for NBA diehards: Rudy Gobert is the NBA’s best defensive center, so his matchup with newly stretchy Marc Gasol is a nice subplot. And I’m interested in seeing Ricky Rubio in a new uniform. But there’s also this: Utah is likely to be the most unbalanced team in the NBA in terms of defense over offense. Grizzlies-Jazz games have tended to be pretty ugly in recent years, and this is on a Wednesday in February. Verdict: 1.5 stars

Game 30. Oklahoma City (Wednesday, Feb. 14): Entertainment upside: The last game before the All-Star Break is the only home game in a two-week stretch. Entertainment downside: It’s a SEGABABA for the Thunder after hosting Cleveland the night before and heading into an All-Star break where Russell Westbrook and Paul George will likely both be playing, which means there’s a chance one or both won’t play here. This is a Valentine’s Day game, which I would put in the downside column, but you make the call there. Verdict: 3 stars

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) calls to players in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)(Photo: Brandon Dill, AP)

Game 31. Cleveland (Friday, Feb. 23): First game out of the break brings Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to town on a Friday night for their only FedExForum appearance. Four stars! But wait … This will actually be a SEGABABA for the Cavs, and Lebron skipped Memphis in a similar situation last season. Will King James stiff Memphis a second year in a row? Is he even aware? Will Kyrie Irving still be a Cav? Is the presence of Derrick Rose a mitigating factor? (Answer: No.) Docked a half-star, and that’s probably generous, to bake in some risk. Verdict: 3.5 stars

Game 32. Phoenix (Wednesday, Feb. 28): Second verse, same as the first, including a winter (ish) weeknight. Docked a half star for diminishing returns. Verdict: 1 star

Game 33. Denver (Friday, Mar. 2): Do you love sweet-passing big men like I love sweet-passing big men? Marc Gasol and Nikola Jokic offer the chance to see two geniuses at work on the same floor. Old Memphis favorites Will Barton and Darrell Arthur are hanging around on a roster that’s full of interesting talent (keep an eye on Gary Harris and Juan Hernangomez). If Denver’s young backcourt coheres, they’re going to be pretty good, and this game will likely have a playoff race edge. Verdict: 3 stars

Game 34. Utah (Friday, Mar. 9): A Friday night bump from the earlier meeting. Some other stuff to look for: Rookie of the Year sleeper Donovan Mitchell. The Ghost of Bad Grizzlies Drafts Past (Rodney Hood). A thrilling athletic contrast on the wing between Joe Ingles and Chandler Parsons. (If the Grizzlies lose this foot race, the season probably isn’t going well.) And that ol’ Razorback, Joe Johnson, will probably bring a posse with him from across the river. Verdict: 2.5 stars

Game 35. Milwaukee (Monday, Mar. 12): It’s a Monday night against a small market Eastern Conference team, but Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak, is on the very short list of NBA players you want to see in person and this is your only chance this season. Verdict: 3 stars

Game 36. Chicago (Thursday, Mar. 15): The Bulls are going to be terrible and Dwyane Wade is unlikely to still be a member of the squad at this point. On a Thursday night? Unless you’re a fan of the uniforms … Verdict: 1 star

Game 37. Denver (Saturday, Mar. 17): Same thing, different weekend night. The bet here is whether the playoff race for these teams is heating up or cooling off. I’m hedging. Verdict: 3 stars

Game 38. L.A. Lakers (Saturday, Mar. 24): Without the additional hoopla of MLK Day, this is just the Lakers, with rookie would-be sensation Lonzo Ball, in town on a Saturday night. Here’s hoping we get a Marc Gasol-Brook Lopez three-point shootout. Verdict: 3.5 stars

Game 39. Portland (Wednesday, Mar. 28): Previous match-up notes still apply. This could have intense playoff meaning, but at this stage I’d bet one of these teams has faded. SEGABABA warning for Portland. Verdict: 2.5 stars

Game 40. Sacramento (Friday, April. 6): Either the Grizzlies are going to be a playoff team and looking ahead to that or they'll be out of the playoffs and fans won't be in as much of a mood to welcome back old reminders of triumphs past. Either way, even on a Friday night, I’m guessing this will lose a lot of steam from the earlier FedExForum meeting. Verdict: 2 stars